ch. 2 Flashcards
linguistic competence
depth of knowledge of a language system
performance
actual use of a language– imposes more limitations on what a speaker can produce than linguistic competence does (due to human memory)
what three things do language users need in order to function in their language?
1) linguistic competence 2) knowledge of their world 3) communicative competence
mental lexicon definition
a network of ‘nodes’ and ‘strings’ connecting words that have similar sounds and/or meanings, which is then used in order to better communicate with people.
aphasia
language dysfunctions caused by damage to the brain
cognitive system
all knowledge types and abilities used in comprehending and forming coherent speech
Broca’s area
damage to this area creates ‘telegraphic speech’– affects speaking mostly
wernicke’s area
damage to this part of the brain affects language comprehension, as it plays an important role in processing phonological and semantic information
supmarginal gyrus
damage to this part of the brain can cause problems with word finding
the N400 effect
triggers an effect in the brain about 400 milliseconds after exposure to a semantic violation
the P600 effect
a reaction in the brain that occurs 600 milliseconds after exposure to a syntactic violation
first step of language comprehension
1) recognition of sounds
second step of language comprehension
2) recognition of words
third step of language comprehension
3) comprehension of sentences
fourth step of language comprehension
4) interpretation of utterances